The Supreme Court of the United States has ruled that the First Amendment of the Constitution, protecting the freedom of speech, prohibits the state of Colorado from forcing a wedding website designer to create designs depicting same-sex marriages and conveying messages with which she disagrees. What was the Supreme Court’s decision regarding the application of the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation?
The Czech Republic, together with Malta and Italy, are the only countries within the EU where a national institution with a broad mandate to protect and promote human rights, the so-called National Human Rights Institution, NHRI, has not yet been established and accredited. Czechia has long faced criticism for this shortcoming, both internationally from the UN, the Council of Europe and the EU and, in recent years, increasingly from representatives of domestic civil society.
The Constitutional Court of South Korea had a very controversial case presented before it. The South Korea’s “guardian of constitution” had to decide whether or not a provision criminalizing sexual acts between two male soldiers,, known as “sodomy law”, is in compatibility with the Constitution. Despite the controversy associated with discrimination and inequality, the court ruled that this provision is in compliance with the Constitution.
The International Court of Justice has delivered its decision on South Africa’s accusation of Israel for committing genocide in Gaza. The Court has ordered Israel to take all steps to prevent genocide and improve the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian Gaza Strip through provisional measures. Israel has a month to inform the Court of its compliance with the order. The Court emphasized the serious risk of the deteriorating situation in Gaza, necessitating immediate action.
The Czech Republic has a long-term reputation as a state striving for respect for human rights worldwide. Last year, it succeeded in the very heart of human rights protection, the UN Human Rights Council.
The UN Human Rights Council (hereinafter “the Council”) is the pivotal human rights body of the United Nations (hereinafter “the UN”). It is an intergovernmental body based in Geneva, Switzerland, whose main task is to prevent and address human rights violations, cooperate in international law development, and conduct the Universal Periodic Review.[1]
Between July 1 and December 31 2022, the Czech Republic assumed the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The priorities of its six-month presidency were determined mostly by ongoing Russian aggression in Ukraine. They include the management of the refugee crisis, the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine, energy security, the strengthening of European defense capabilities, security of cyberspace, the strategic resilience of the European economy and the resilience of democratic institutions. What have been the major outcomes of the Czech presidency?
The Russian aggression in Ukraine has affected the whole world, including the Czech Republic. What is our approach to the Russian invasion? How do we help and what are the challenges we have to face?
